God of War (series)
The God of War series is an action/adventure games for Playstation consoles. It is based on ancient Greek mythology, and follows the adventures of a Spartan warrior known as Kratos. So far, two games have been released for the Playstation 2, one for the Playstation Portable, one for mobile phones, and one for the Playstation 3 (the two games for Playstation 2 were later remastered and ported on one single Blu-Ray disc for Playstation 3), with another game having been announced for the Playstation Portable. A game from the Soul Calibur series which features Kratos, plus a book and a comic series based on the franchise, have been released. The Series Main Series *''(PSP)'' God of War: Chains of Olympus *''(PS2)'' God of War *''(PSP)'' God of War: Ghost of Sparta *''(Mobile)'' God of War: Betrayal *''(PS2)'' God of War II *''(PS3)'' God of War III Other Media * (PS3) God of War Collection (Remastered ports of God of War and God of War II) * God of War Comics * God of War (Film) * God of War (Novel) * (PSP) Soulcalibur: Broken Destiny Overview All games in the God of War series are action-adventure games presented from a third-person camera, with the player in control of Kratos. In the first three (chronological) games, Kratos' primary weapons are twin blades on long chains that have been embedded in his arms, allowing him to use the blades as hand-held swords or as swung flails. In addition to direct melee attacks, this gives the player a large number of attack combination, triggered by entering sequences on the controller's buttons, similar to fighting games. Certain foes, when weakened, will be marked with a special indicator; at this point, the player can initiate a "finishing move" by following a sequence of quick time events that if done properly, will instantly kill the creature, while failing to follow the events may harm Kratos. In addition to the blades, Kratos gains magical artifacts and special weapons that can also be used in conjunction with his other attacks, further expanding the catalog of moves that the player can perform. The games also feature a special meter that is filled as Kratos defeats his enemies. When it is filled, the player can unleash a temporary boost to Kratos' speed and power, among other effects. Outside of combat, Kratos must maneuver through the environment; the blades allow him to climb up certain rock faces or hang from ceilings, and Kratos' strength may be employed to push blocks and other objects in order to complete environmental puzzles. As the player defeats foes, they collect red orbs that act similarly to experience points; at any time, the player can expend red orbs into improving Kratos' skill with weapons and magical artifacts, often gaining new combo moves at specific levels. Numerous chests around will also contain red orbs in addition to green (health) and blue (magic) orbs. There are also special items hidden in chests that, after collecting a number of, will expand the health or magic meter for Kratos. Red orbs can also be found by destroying much of the environmental objects that litter the levels. Key Components There are several elements in each God of War game (except mobile game God of War: Betrayal) that are always present. Beside following the same story, gameplay, and the main character, some features are transferred from one game to another. This include: Epic Opening Boss Every game begins with an epic, multi-staged battle against a large, powerful boss. The Basilisk, the Hydra, the Colossus of Rhodes, and Poseidon and his Leviathans, all of which are encountered several times throughout the game's opening level. Sexual scenes God of War, God of War II, Chains of Olympus and God of War III ''all have a sexual mini-game available. Recurring Characters A meeting with an unfortunate victim of Kratos was implemented to reoccur in all three games. *In the first ''God of War, Kratos dispatches the Sea Captain after taking his Chamber Key and reencounters the Captain in the Underworld, during his escape back to the top. *In God of War II, When the Barbarian King summons his barbarians, he summons the captain as well. *In God of War III, a note can be found in the underworld, written by the Captain, describing his anger at the Ghost of Sparta. Gorgon boss The first game had Medusa, and the second had Euryale. Yet, the third game didn't feature Stheno. Crossover DLC In the platform game Little Big Planet, there is DLC of the God of War Series: it includes stickers, soundtracks and 3 character skins; Kratos, Medusa, and a Minotaur. March Release So far, every game in the God of War series has been released in the month of March, with God of War in 2005; God of War II in 2007; God of War: Chains of Olympus in 2008; and God of War III in 2010. This is very likely due to the fact that the month of March was commonly associated with Mars, the God of War in Roman myth, otherwise known as Ares in Greek myth. With the release of Ghost of Sparta however, this tradition is no longer upheld, since the game is set to release late 2010. The Omega Symbol The symbol for Omega, the last letter of the Greek alphabet, has become a primary symbol for the God of War series. It is seen amongst the title of each game, and on many ocassions throughout the games themselves. The symbol is most likely used in the series because the series itself is about "the end" of Greek mythology. Gallery god_of_war_chains_of_olympus.jpg|Chains of Olympus GodofWarI_NTSC.jpg|God of War I GodofWarII_NTSC.jpg|God of War II God of War 3 III PS3 Region 1 Canadian.jpg|God of War III God-of-War-Collection---Cover.JPG|God of War Collection Category:God of War Series Category:Games Category:Other Media